The auction data firm thinks the slip in November wholesale pricing was probably more related to new vehicle market activity, channel stuffing and higher incentives than excess inventory.

Used vehicle retail market sales increased 10% in November.

Manheim's sector breakdown:"If our theory for the price movement is correct, manufacturers may have more control over future residuals than currently believed. They will, however, need to better balance new vehicle volume objectives with already assumed end-of-term residual projections."

While Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) may have grabbed some headlines this week for its ambitious goals with autonomous driving (SAE level 5), the technology is being widely discussed across industries as a potential future reality.

At a real estate conference in New York this week, a panel member called autonomous vehicles the biggest tech news concerning real estate in the last ten years. Some see a future reversal of urbanization trends in a development that could have significant investment implications.

City planners and architects are already thinking of next-gen design. A paper titled "Beyond Google's Cute Car" (.pdf version) is a good example of how cities are being reimagined.

Then there's this from the man who designed the 2015 Ford Mustang. "The next 10 years in this business is going to be the biggest change and challenge since the turn of the last century when cars took over for horses," said Ford design chief Moray Callum. Ford (NYSE:F) aims to have a high-volume, fully autonomous SAE level 4-capable vehicle in commercial operation in 2021.

Self-driving car development is a topic of discussion on FedEx (NYSE:FDX), UPS (NYSE:UPS), Lyft (Private:LYFT), Uber (Private:UBER), Hertz Global (NYSE:HTZ), Google (GOOGL, GOOG), Avis Budget (NASDAQ:CAR), Domino's Pizza (NYSE:DPZ) and Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA). Earnings season is just heating up, but a host of companies -- including OTCPK:TMOAF, OTCPK:DDAIF, OTCPK:VOLVY, MXIM, CPRT, WBC, GNTX and XLNX -- have already talked up the trend on their conference calls. GM reports earnings this week and will update on any self-driving Chevy Bolt plans.

This year's e-commerce boom will also be a net positive for shippers FedEx (NYSE:FDX) and UPS (NYSE:UPS), despite the increasing logistical challenges amid a higher mix of large packages. There's also Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) to consider after the company made a dramatic commitment to invest more in e-commerce during an investor meeting a few weeks ago.

Manheim reports wholesale used vehicle prices were flat M/M and up 1.7% Y/Y in September to a reading of 126.9. The pickup and van segment showed the biggest gain across the different classes.

"The continued strength in wholesale pricing is largely explained by current and past increases in new vehicle transaction prices – even after adjusted for mix shifts," notes Cox automotive economist Tom Webb.

RIght now, the chance of an affirmative vote in the Brexit referendum is looking mighty slim, so it's hard to imagine much of an edge here. Nevertheless, the team at JPMorgan has identified 22 U.S. stocks with the highest U.K. exposure as a percent of revenue. These names would thus theoretically benefit from a "Remain" vote.

"The mall is not dead, it has just moved online," asserts EQM Indexes CEO and SA contributor Jane Edmondson. Though her analysis is not entirely new, it's certainly well-timed amid a battering of mall-based chains this week (see reports on L Brands, Gap, and Macy's for some of the carnage details).

EQM licensed its online retail index to ETF provider Amplify Investment for use in the new Amplify Online Retail ETF (NASDAQ:IBUY).

Along with its FQ1 results, Copart (NASDAQ:CPRT) has announced Jeffrey Law, formerly the CFO of truck/trailer part distributor FleetPride and before that a principal at P-E firm TPG Capital, is its new CFO, effective Jan. 4. He replaces William Franklin, who will remain Copart's EVP for U.S. operations and shared services.

The car auction site and marketing service provider has also announced it plans to buy back up to 7.32M shares (6.1% of outstanding shares) at prices between $38 and $41 through a Dutch auction tender offer set to run from Nov. 24 to Dec. 23. At $41, Copart would be spending $300M on the buyback.